Folding vehicle

ABSTRACT

A folding vehicle structure includes a frame having a plurality of members. A first member intersects a second member at a first pivot point. A third member, spaced from the first and second members, intersects a fourth member, which is also spaced from the first and second members, at a second pivot point. The frame includes a first cross-member extending between the first and second intersection points. The frame is collapsible.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/833,554 filed on Jun. 11, 2013 and titled “ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT, LOW COST, FOLDING VEHICLE,” the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Automotive vehicles have evolved from relatively simple designs in thelate 1800s and early 1900s to extremely complex and costlytransportation devices in industrialized nations. Tremendous populationgrowth in countries like China and India, and the lack of adequateinfrastructure in emerging markets such as Africa, makes transportationusing conventional vehicles difficult.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an example 2-passenger vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an example 2-passenger vehicle.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are stick diagrams showing the vehicle of FIGS. 1 and 2in open and closed positions, respectively, with first linkage lengths.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are stick diagrams showing the vehicle of FIGS. 1 and 2in open and closed positions, respectively, with second linkage lengths.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example vehicle having a folding floor.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are stick diagrams showing an example vehicle with asliding floor in open and closed positions, respectively.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate example latches for securing the vehicle inopen and closed positions, respectively.

FIGS. 7C and 7D are stick diagrams showing a first example latchingmechanism with the vehicle in open and closed positions, respectively.

FIGS. 7E and 7F are stick diagrams showing a second example latchingmechanism with the vehicle in open and closed positions, respectively.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example vehicle having curved cross-members.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C illustrate an example vehicle having straightcross-members in a perspective view, a side view, and a top view,respectively.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate views of an example steering column andbell crank linkage.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate views of an example front and rearsuspension, respectively.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a vehicle having an example suspensionsystem with different types of springs.

FIG. 13 is a side view of an example vehicle having a powertrain with amotor and a battery.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate example removable battery packs.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate a perspective view and a side view of anexample 4-passenger vehicle.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are stick diagrams showing an example 2-person vehiclewith a pick-up bed in open and closed positions, respectively.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are stick diagrams showing an example 4-person vehiclewith a pick-up bed in open and closed positions, respectively.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are perspective views of an example seatbeltmechanism.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are stick diagrams showing an example vehicle, with asliding roof, in an open and closed position, respectively.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are perspective views of an example vehicle having acover.

FIGS. 21A and 21B illustrate a first example storage trunk alone andlocated in the vehicle, respectively.

FIGS. 21C and 21D illustrate a second example storage trunk alone andlocated in the vehicle, respectively.

FIGS. 22A-22F illustrate components of an example vehicle collapsed forstorage or shipping.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A simple, ultra-low cost, commuter vehicle could create a whole newglobal market, filling the price gap between bicycles and automobiles.One way to develop a low-cost vehicle is to keep the design simple whilebalancing factors such as meeting the most basic of transportationneeds, minimizing weight, and using the fewest possible numbers of partsby having individual components serve multiple functions. Ultra-lightweight is also a key consideration in making “zero-emission” electrifiedvehicles commercially viable. Since the battery is often one of the mostexpensive parts of an electric vehicle, and battery sizing is primarilydetermined by vehicle weight; light-weight, low-cost vehicles provide anopportunity for electric vehicles to commercially succeed.

Furthermore, space is at a premium in congested mega-cities such asthose in China and India. Consequently a vehicle that can fold into asmaller footprint when parked is a desirable feature. Moreover, anarchitecture that is low investment, and can be flexibly configured withminimal change (e.g. 2-passenger, 4-passenger, pick-up, etc.) forvarying customer needs, helps create a business case the can profitablysupport an ultra-low sales price.

An example ultra-light weight, low-cost, folding vehicle is describedbelow. One implementation includes a 4-wheeled lightweight vehicle thatuses an X-frame (side-view) structure. The X-members can pivot at acentral axis in the side-view, allowing the frame to fold. Lateraltubular cross-members connect the X-members to create the frame, andalso provide support for the seats. Horizontal tension beams or cablesor vertical compression beams between the ends of the X-members make theframe stiff vertically, yet allow the frame to fold longitudinally whenthe vehicle is not in use, by either disconnecting the members orallowing the cables to fold. Conversely, when attached, the horizontalmembers or vertical tension members or cables may limit the ability ofthe vehicle to fold in front or rear impact or when the floor is loadedvertically. The seats may attach to two cross-members behind the seatback and under the occupant's thighs. The seats can be either rigid orfabric sling seats designed to attach to the vehicle cross-members. Thesling seats can also form the floor support. Regardless of the material,the seat design may still allow the vehicle to fold. By adding a tandemX-frame structure, the same basic components can be used to make a4-passenger vehicle. Cross-member length determines the number ofoccupants that can sit laterally. Consequently, single passenger,2-passenger tandem, 2-passenger 2-abreast, 2-row 4-passenger and 2-row6-passenger 3-abreast models are possible, using the same basic vehiclearchitecture and many of the same components; and other vehicle modelversions are possible. For example, a 4-passenger model can be convertedinto a 2-passenger pick-up by the addition of a removable pick-up bed.

The example vehicles described below address various issues relative tointroducing mass-market vehicles to emerging markets, large urban areaswhere space is a premium, or both. The vehicles maximize designsimplicity by using only those components required to achieve thedesired function and using minimum manufacturing processing, i.e.minimal welding, machining, forming, etc. Several components of thevehicles are designed to perform multiple functions. For example,chassis cross-members can double as the seat structure. The vehicles canfurther reduce weight by using cables in place of rigid members for keytension loads. The vehicle can further fold into a smaller footprint,minimizing parking and storage space, and, in some instances, “kitted”so that it can be shipped globally in small, high-density packages. Insome implementations, the vehicle may be powered electrically or byanother fuel source such as gasoline (e.g., via an internal combustionengine). The vehicle may further incorporate various drive mechanismssuch as rear wheel drive (RWD), front wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheeldrive (AWD). Other features of the vehicle may include a design thatlocalizes masses to minimize weight effect on the chassis structure tosynergistically reduce vehicle weight, a modular and scalable designthat allows for a number of different models from essentially the samecomponents (1-pass, 1-pass pick-up, 2-pass transverse, 2-pass tandem,4-pass, 6-pass, 2-pass pick-up, 2 and 4-pass golf carts, ATVs, lighttractors, etc.), and the ability to upgrade the vehicle with optionalfeatures for more developed markets.

Accordingly, a vehicle is described below that has a simplistic design,both minimizing cost and manufacturing investment, has a reduced weightrelative to other vehicles, and has a flexible and scalablearchitecture. Such a vehicle may be well-suited for rapidly growingcountries, like China and India, emerging markets such as variouscountries in Africa, and urban areas in developed countries. Otherpotential markets include Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) indeveloped countries, rental vehicles in vacation or resort communities,or the like. The vehicles and components shown in the FIGS. may takemany different forms and include multiple and/or alternate componentsand facilities. The exemplary components illustrated are not intended tobe limiting. Indeed, additional or alternative components and/orimplementations may be used.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example 2-passenger folding vehicle 100includes an X-frame structure 105 configured to pivot at theintersections of the X members 110, a seat 115 that may be attached to across-member 120 located at a center of an X pivot 125 (i.e., where twoX members 110 intersect) and an upper rear cross-member 120 behind thepassenger's shoulders, upper and lower members 110 configured to attachfront and rear axles 130 to the vehicle structure 105, a tension cableor detachable horizontal (tension) or vertical (compression) member thatcontrols vehicle 100 extension, and a detachable vertical tension cable,horizontal (compression) or vertical (tension) member that, e.g.,prevents the vehicle 100 from folding upon front or rear impact. Thevehicle 100, as shown, may be configured to power fold, extend, or both.Further, by setting a brake or parking brake at one end of the vehicle100, the driven wheels 135 at the other end can be used to actuate thelongitudinally folding or extending of the vehicle 100.

The X-member structure 105 may include individual beams 140 connected bya pivot joint at an intersection point. Horizontal axis pivot joints mayalso located at pivots 125A, 125B, 125D, and 125E. Lateral horizontalcross-members 120 may be configured to connect the corresponding pivots125 of the X-members as shown in the plan view of FIG. 2. Thecross-members 120 between pivots 125F and 125R may be used, e.g., toimprove lateral stiffness.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the seat 115 may be attached to thecross-member 120 extending between the pivots 125D located behind thepassenger's shoulders and the cross-member 120 extending between thepivots 125C behind the passenger's knees. The seat 115 can be formedfrom a rigid for flexible material. For instance, the seat 115 mayinclude a fabric sling attached to the cross-members 120. The seat 115may be removed from the vehicle 100 by, e.g., unlatching the seat 115 orotherwise disconnecting the seat 115 from the cross-members 120. Withregard to the sling seat 115, the fabric can be extended forward to forma floor 155 and dash panel by attaching a forward most edge to thecross-member 120 between the pivots 125A, 125F and/or 125B.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the upper front members 110C may beattached to a front axle 130F, and upper rear member 110E may beattached to the rear axle 130. Lower front member 110D and lower rearmember 110F may connect to the upper members 110C and 110E throughpivots 125F and 125R, respectively. Note that front and rear axle 130centerlines may be coincident with pivots 125F and 125R. For smallerwheel diameters, however, the upper members 110C and 110E may beextended past the pivots 125F and 125R, as shown, to provide adequateground clearance to the frame while the vehicle 100 is in the extendedposition, the folded position, or both. In addition, the lengths of thecross-members 120 and X-members 110 may be adjusted to change the rideheight, the length of the vehicle 100 when extended, and the length ofthe vehicle 100 when folded (see FIG. 4B). At the minimum folded length,shown in FIG. 4B, the front and rear wheels 135 may overlap, requiringdifferent track widths for the front and rear axles 130. A wider fronttrack may provide adequate steer turn angles without excessive vehicle100 width. Staggered track widths may also allow nesting of foldedvehicles, allowing, e.g., approximately five 4-passenger or six2-passenger folded vehicles to be lined up in a single 20 foot parkingspace.

Referring to FIG. 5, options for a floor structure 155 for the vehicle100 that still allow the vehicle 100 to fold include rigidized fabric(see FIG. 1) draped from the cross-member 120C and attached to thecross-members 120A, 120B, or 120F. Another option may includeincorporating a rigid folding floor linkage 160 between pivots 125B and125E, as shown in FIG. 5. Another possible implementation, shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B, includes using a rigid sliding floor 155 attached to,and configured to pivot about, cross-member 120B or cross-member 120E,and configured to slide along an opposite cross-member 120E orcross-member 120B, respectively, as the vehicle 100 is adjusted to thefolded position. Because the floor structure 155 of FIGS. 6A and 6B doesnot change when the vehicle 100 is folded, the floor structure 155 mayact as a mounting surface for one or more batteries 260, providing easyaccess to the battery 260 for, e.g., removal, charging, or both.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the horizontal tension cable 165 or detachablemember may control the extended length of the structure 105 while stillallowing the vehicle 100 to be folded longitudinally. The cable ordetachable link is shown connecting pivots 125B and 125E, but may alsobe attached to the corresponding cross-members 120, or the members 110near the pivots 125. The cable or detachable link can alternatively belocated to join any one or more horizontal pivots 125 (such as 125F and125C, 125C and 125R, or 125A and 125D). To help keep the vehicle 100 inthe extended position in a front or rear impact, similar detachablecables or rigid members 180 may be attached to the cross-members 120 ormembers 110 near the vertical pivots (125A and 125B, or 125D and 125E).

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate different ways to stabilize the vehicle 100 whenin the extended position and, in some instances, reduce the likelihoodthat the vehicle 100 will fold following a front or rear impact. Acontinuous cable 165 is depicted in FIG. 7A. The cable 165 may be routedhorizontally between pivots 125B or 125E with the vertical portionrouted through or around either pivots 125A or 125D. Two cable stops 170may control the extended length while a cable latch 175 may be used tolock in the vertical safety portion of the cable 165. The latch may bedisengaged to fold the vehicle 100.

FIG. 7B depicts a latching vertical member 180. The vertical member 180may be attached between pivots 125A and 125B or 125D and 125E. Thevertical member 180 may be configured to slide through the upperattachment at pivot 125A or 125D and rest upon a down stop 185 tocontrol the extended length. The vertical member 180 may be held inplace with a safety latch 190 to prevent folding upon front or rearimpact. Disengaging the safety latch 190 may allow the vehicle 100 tofold.

Referring now to FIGS. 7C and 7D, the rigid sliding floor 155 may bemodified to simultaneously control the extended position and preventfolding upon front or rear impact. A hasp-type slot 195 may beconfigured to engage the pivot 125E cross-member 120 to, e.g., controlthe extended position. When the vehicle 100 is unfolded, the rear axle130B cross-member 120 may slide into the hasp-type slot 195 in the floorstructure 155. An additional slot 200 may be configured to hold thevehicle 100 in the folded position. The operator can lift the rear ofthe floor 155 to disengage the slots 195, 200, so that the vehicle 100can be extended or folded.

FIGS. 7E and 7F show vehicles 100 with the sliding vertical member 180of FIG. 7B and the sliding floor structure 155 of FIGS. 7C and 7D. Thedown stop 185 of the vertical member 180 may be configured to restrainthe vehicle 100 in the extended position while the floor structure 155may be configured to prevent the vehicle structure 105 from folding onimpact. The slot 200 may be configured to hold the vehicle 100 in thefolded position. In some implementations, the latches described abovemay be omitted and the vehicle 100 may be folded or extended by, e.g.,lifting the rear end of the floor 155.

Referring now to FIG. 8, some cross-members 120 may be curved in theside view to improve ingress/egress of the driver and passenger, and canalso be swept in the front view to improve aesthetic appearance, withoutaffecting vehicle 100 function or folding. Moreover, the X-members neednot be co-planar for the folding geometry to function.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate a vehicle structure 105 with a member 110A movedto the center of the vehicle 100. Additional outboard links 205 betweenpivots 125C and 125E may be configured to add stability to the structure105. This arrangement may allow for a more car-like ingress and egressfeel for the occupants as they need not climb over an outboard member110A to enter or exit the vehicle 100. Other non-planar arrangements ofthe X-members are possible.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate an example steering mechanism. The steeringmechanism may include, e.g., a bell-crank, a rack & pinion system, orthe like. The bell-crank system shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B includes asteering column 210 configured to fold along with the vehicle structure105. The steering column 210 may be attached to the cross-member 120between the pivot 125A and front axle 130A through pivot blocks 215.Thus the steering column 210 may be configured to move with the upperlink and cross-member 120 assembly as the vehicle 100 is folded. Thebell crank 220 may be attached to the end of the steering column 210.Tie rods 225 may be connected to steering arms 230 that are part of thesteering knuckles. Right- or left-hand steering can be accommodated by,e.g., moving the pivot blocks 215 and reversing the bell crank 220linkage.

FIGS. 11A and 11B depict a possible front suspension arrangement for,e.g., rough road capability. As shown, the upper members 110 may bereplaced by coil-over shocks 235 and the lower members 110 may bereplaced by a triangular control arm 240 that attaches the pivots 125Bto the front axle 130F. The steering mechanism, shown in FIGS. 10A and10B, may be attached to the axle 130 with suspension motion accommodatedby a splined and U-jointed intermediate shaft to the steering column210. Another optional suspension arrangement may be configured for therear axle 130R with upper members 110 replaced by coil-over shocks 235and lower members 110 replaced by a triangular control arm 240 thatattaches the pivots 125E to the rear axle 130R. Another potentialsuspension system may include transverse front and rear leaf springswith solid axles 130.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show a vehicle 100 having controlled verticalcompression when, e.g., the vehicle 100 encounters rough roads. Thevehicle 100 includes an extension spring 245 and/or shock 235 in thehorizontal cable 250/member 110 or compression spring 245 and/or shock235 in the vertical member 180. Rough road inputs can be absorbed byvertical compression of the vehicle structure 105 through various pivots125.

FIG. 13 depicts one of the many possible powertrain arrangements. Bothinternal combustion and electric power arrangements can be accommodated.In the arrangement depicted, drive is delivered by two rear electric hubmotors 255 mounted within the wheels 135; however, a conventional rearaxle 130R with a single electric motor 255 and differential is one ofthe many other possibilities. At least one removable battery 260 may bedisposed in the vehicle 100, such as mounted on the floor 155. Multipleremovable batteries may be electrically connected in parallel toincrease the range of the vehicle 100, and the batteries may beremovable so that they can be carried into the home for charging oreasily swapped with freshly charged batteries.

An example removable battery pack 265 is shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B. Theremovable battery pack 265 may allow an operator to carry the battery260 for, e.g., security, remote charging, or both. In some possibleimplementations, the removable battery pack 265 may be configured toattach to cross-members 120 located, e.g., behind one of the seats 115.

The vehicle 100 can incorporate any number of powertrain, drive, andpassenger configurations. Examples of powertrain configurations, asdiscussed above, may include internal combustion, electric, or hybrid.Examples of drive configurations may include front wheel drive, rearwheel drive, or all wheel drive configurations. Moreover, as discussedabove, the vehicle 100 may include a suspension system. Examples ofpassenger configurations may include a single passenger configuration, asingle passenger pick-up configuration, a 2-passenger tandemconfiguration, a 2 passenger abreast configuration, a4-passenger/2-abreast configuration, a 6-passenger/3-abreastconfiguration, a 2-passenger/2-abreast/pick-up configuration, a3-passenger/3-abreast/pick-up configuration, etc.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate different views of an example 4-passengermodel of the vehicle 100. Through the addition of more X-members plusadditional cross-members 120, the 4-passenger model can be created fromthe simplistic 2-passenger model discussed above. As shown, the4-passenger vehicle 100 is shown with optional front hub motors 255 togive the vehicle 100 all wheel drive functionality.

The vehicle 100 can be fitted with an optional, e.g., 2-foot pick-up box270 as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B for transport of light duty goods.While a 2-passenger vehicle 100 is shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, thepick-up box 270 could also be applied to other vehicle 100configurations, including the 4-passenger model, as discussed below withreference to FIGS. 17A and 17B. The pick-up box 270 may be connectedvia, e.g., the hook 275 to one cross-member 120 and latched to anothercross-member 120D. When the latch 280 is released, the pick-up box 270may be configured to pivot about pivot 125R so that the folded length ofthe vehicle 100 can remain relatively unchanged. The pick-up box 270 maybe configured to easily detach when the operator desires to remove thepick-up box 270 from the vehicle 100.

Referring now to FIGS. 17A and 17B, the rear seats 115 of a 4-passengermodel vehicle 100 may be removed, and a 4-foot box 270 may be added,resulting in a 2-passenger pick-up. The box 270 may be attached (i.e.,hooked) to the cross-member 120R and latched to the cross-member 120D.The box 270 may be configured to pivot to a dump position by, e.g.,releasing the latch 280 and power folding the vehicle 100 such that thecross-member 120R slides forward to engage the front hook 285, allowingthe box 270 to rotate about the cross-member 120R. The dump position mayfurther permit the vehicle 100 to be parked in a folded condition forcramped environments. The pick-up box 270 may installed or removed byengaging or disengaging, respectively, the latch 280 and hooks 275.

The vehicle 100 may be further modified to comply with various safety,regulatory, and customer needs. Safety and regulatory features mayinclude windshield, wipers, fenders, seatbelts, headlights, taillights,turn signals, mirrors, ignition key, reflectors, 4-wheel brakes, aparking brake, etc.

FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a vehicle 100 having a 3-point harness 280to the implementation illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9C. The 3-point harness280 may be installed by attaching belt buckle receivers 295 to themember 110A. The rear of the members 110B may be extended vertically toattach shoulder belts 300 while the lap belts 305 may be attached to themembers 205 between pivots 125C and 125E. A similar arrangement can beused with the parallel X-frame structure 105 illustrated in FIG. 1. Inthat case, the member 205 between the pivots 125C and 125E may bemounted centrally to provide an attachment for the belt buckle receivers295.

Customer customization options may include various types of weatherprotection and storage features such as a rigid roof 310, flexiblecanopy top 320, front and rear valences 330, fabric side panels 335,storage basket 355, a sling trunk 350, zip-out doors, and scissor doors340. An optional hard roof 310, shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, may allowthe vehicle 100 to fold by pivoting along one vertical member 180 andsliding along another vertical member 180, similar to the sliding floor155 described above. The vertical members 180 (previously discussed withreference to FIG. 7B) may be extended vertically and connected cross-carin order to provide a sliding roof 310 support. The roof 310 may behinged to the windshield header 315 to allow a rigid roof 310 to sliderearward relative to the orientation of the vehicle 100 as the structure105 is folded.

FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate other weather protection customizations. Acanopy top 320 may be attached to the windshield header and may besupported by the roof support 180 described above. A bottom of thecanopy may be attached to the members 110E and rear axle 130R throughsnaps or other types of connectors. A zip out backlite 325 may beconfigured to provide storage access. A front valence 330 may be formedfrom a rigid panel or waterproof fabric. Side panels 335 may be formedfrom a 4-way stretch fabric, such as an elastic polyurethane fabric(e.g., LYCRA), and may be attached to the pivots 125. Scissor doors 340made of a polycarbonate material, like LEXAN, may be mounted to a doorbeam 345 configured to swing about the pivot 125A or 125F and latch tothe pivot 125C or 125D. The vehicle 100 may be configured to fold whenthe doors are in the open position.

Another customization may relate to additional storage options,including storage compartments. FIGS. 21A-21D illustrates various viewsof a sling 350 (FIGS. 21A and 21B) and an under-seat expanding basket355 (FIGS. 21C and 21D) that may be used as storage options. The sling350 may be configured to be attach to a cross-member 120 extendingbehind one of the seats 115. The expanding basket 355 may be configuredto rest on a floor 155 under or behind one of the seats 115. The storagecompartments 350, 355 may be formed from a rigid or flexible material.

Referring now to FIGS. 22A-22F, the vehicle structure 105 may be made upof multiple flat plane assemblies. Therefore, for purposes of packagingand shipping, the vehicle 100 can be packed in a flat, partiallyassembled state, along with the wheels 135. This results in a verycompact package that can be efficiently shipped around the world. FIGS.22A-22F illustrate example combinations of parts of the vehicle 100 thatmay be combined for purposes of packaging and shipping the vehicle 100.

With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc.described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps ofsuch processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to acertain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with thedescribed steps performed in an order other than the order describedherein. It further should be understood that certain steps could beperformed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or thatcertain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, thedescriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose ofillustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed soas to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description isintended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments andapplications other than the examples provided would be apparent uponreading the above description. The scope should be determined, not withreference to the above description, but should instead be determinedwith reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated andintended that future developments will occur in the technologiesdiscussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will beincorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should beunderstood that the application is capable of modification andvariation.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinarymeanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologiesdescribed herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is madeherein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,”“said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicatedelements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A folding vehicle structure comprising: acollapsible frame having a first member, a second member intersectingthe first member at a first pivot point, a third member spaced from thefirst and second members, and a fourth member spaced from the first andsecond members, wherein the fourth member intersects the third member ata second pivot point, wherein the frame includes a first cross-memberextending from the first pivot point to the second pivot point; aplurality of wheels disposed on the frame; and a battery configured topower at least one of the wheels, wherein the collapsible frame includesa second cross-member spaced from and parallel to the first cross-memberand perpendicular to the first member, the second member, the thirdmember, and the fourth member, and wherein the battery is disposed in abattery pack attached to a seat disposed on the second cross-member. 2.The folding vehicle structure of claim 1, further comprising a motorconfigured to rotate at least one of the wheels, wherein the motor isconfigured to drive at least one wheel toward at least one other wheelto collapse the frame.
 3. The folding vehicle structure of claim 2,wherein the motor is incorporated into at least one of the wheels. 4.The folding vehicle structure of claim 1, wherein the battery pack isremovable from the seat.
 5. The folding vehicle structure of claim 1,further comprising a floor structure disposed on the frame.
 6. Thefolding vehicle structure of claim 5, wherein the battery is disposed onthe floor structure.
 7. The folding vehicle structure of claim 5,wherein the seat is disposed on the frame and spaced from the frame,wherein the battery is disposed between the floor structure and theseat.
 8. The folding vehicle structure of claim 1, wherein the batteryis rechargeable.
 9. A folding vehicle structure comprising: acollapsible frame having a first member, a second member intersectingthe first member at a first pivot point, a third member spaced from thefirst and second members, and a fourth member spaced from the first andsecond members, wherein the fourth member intersects the third member ata second pivot point, wherein the frame includes: a first cross-memberextending from the first pivot point to the second pivot point, and asecond cross-member spaced from and parallel to the first cross-memberand perpendicular to the first member, the second member, the thirdmember, and the fourth member; a plurality of wheels disposed on theframe; a seat disposed on the frame between the first and second membersand the third and fourth members, wherein the seat is attached to thesecond cross-member; and a battery pack having a battery configured topower at least one of the wheels, wherein the battery pack is disposedon the seat attached to the second cross-member.
 10. The folding vehiclestructure of claim 9, wherein the battery pack is removable from theseat.
 11. The folding vehicle structure of claim 9, wherein the batteryis rechargeable.